Study Sustainability in Colombia

Fall in love with a country bursting with passion, flair, color, music and dance. Immerse yourself into one of the friendliest cultures on the planet. Join Kagumu’s ground-breaking Jaguar Program to widen your knowledge of pressing global issues and learn how you can contribute to a more sustainable world.

Where: Medellín, Antioquia & Los Nevados National Park. Santa Marta (optional)
Date: June 15 – July 13, 2021 (flexible dates offered for groups larger than 8)
Number of Participants: 14-18
Suggested Ages: 17-24
Cost: from $1,999 USD per person (all inclusive apart from international flights)
Language: Spanish with English translations when necessary.
Kagumu Support: Staff 24/7

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Study program in Medellin

What better place to learn about global issues and become inspired to make a positive difference in the world than South America’s hub of innovation. Once known as the most dangerous place on earth, Medellín now teems with social and environmental projects that have transformed communities and rejuvenated surrounding biodiversity. Working alongside internationally-recognized entrepreneurs and extraordinary community leaders, you'll develop indispensable skills to aid your future career and discover ways to change the world for the better.

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Program Activities

Your Project: Volunteer with some of Colombia's most impactful community and environmental projects and complete our expert-designed course, giving you the problem-solving skills and knowledge to create your own sustainable project in your own country.

Project visits: Engage with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals by working with reforestation, organic farming, urban gardening, sustainable city development, bioconstruction, and human rights projects.

Soft skills developed: Develop problem solving, leadership, adaptability and cross-cultural communication skills among others.

Cultural activities: Experience: city tours, salsa classes, cooking challenges, exotic fruit tasting, soccer matches, coffee workshops, graffiti workshops and a nighttime bike ride!

Adventure weekends: Spend one weekend rafting and zip lining in the Andean jungle, one weekend trekking the UNESCO-listed coffee zone and one weekend relaxing and swimming in the outdoor pool at a rural country house.

Responsible Travel: We strongly believe in responsible travel and are dedicated to limiting our environmental impact, increasing our positive social impacts and inspiring others to follow suit. Find out more about Kagumu's social and environmental impact by clicking here.

Testimonials

"There are no words to describe Colombia. People here are playful, they hug all the time and have a lot of love to give...I think the experiences we lived are important development for our personal selves."

Brisa Yoana Alzaga, 17, Participant, Mexico

“I honestly couldn’t have imagined a better trip to Colombia... dream come true. I appreciate everything they did to make it so amazing and I’m not too sad because we’ll be running this trip every year now.”

Meredith Brady, Spanish Teacher, Pacific Ridge, United States.

"The homestay was an incredible way to legitimately connect with Colombians and discover what the culture is like. I was beyond lucky to be spoiled by an incredibly open, loving, and kind family."

Jake Sagar, 18, Participant, Pacific Ridge, United States.

Itinerary

Week 1: Medellín
Begin your journey in the city declared the most innovative in the world. Immerse yourself into the vibrant local culture with city tours, salsa classes and art workshops. Each day you will travel to EAFIT's university campus in the chic Poblado area, where you will join like-minded students for dynamic workshops about sustainable development. Explore the city on it's award-winning metro and metro cable system and take part in our specially-designed sustainable cooking challenge.

Week 2: Medellín & Rio Claro Natural Reserve
After a weekend of rafting and zip lining in the Andean jungle, you will return to the city. This week you will explore Medellín's ecological playground, discovering how you can lower your carbon footprint by joining a reforestation project. You will also discover how to make the finest Arabica coffee beans on the planet by taking part in workshops with a local foundation that is helping ex-rebel fighters and formerly displaced families through coffee farming.

Week 3: Medellin & Los Nevados National Park, Quindio
Enjoy a free weekend to explore the city with your new friends or take a break with a weekend excursion. Taste the wonderful array of exotic fruits with a tour around the city's largest market. You'll witness the unique atmosphere at a live soccer match and pick up your paint brushes to help create a mural with a local foundation that promotes Human Rights. We leave for a weekend of adventures in the stunning UNESCO-protected Coffee Zone for an adventure of a lifetime. Led by professional guides, walk through Los Nevados National Park, discovering mysterious cloud forests, alien-like vegetation, soaring condors, hoards of hummingbirds and the world’s tallest palm trees.

Week 4: Medellín, Antioquia
During the final week, you will volunteer with a local community project that is helping to create urban gardens in underprivileged communities. You'll take part in a canopy experience high in the trees and put your salsa skills to the test with a night in a traditional bar. We close the program with a bang with a celebratory weekend on a country farm.

Week 5 (optional): Caribbean Coast, Magdalena
You travel to Colombia’s Caribbean coast to explore the highest coastal mountain range in the world. Engage in reforestation projects, discover world-class cacao and coffee and enjoy a multi-day trek through the jungle, where you find an ancient civilization unchanged from the 7th century.

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Homestay Experience

Immerse yourself into traditional Colombian life with a truly memorable homestay experience. Choosing the homestay will allow you to interact with your new family on a daily basis, learning how to cook, dance and even play bingo. You'll soon realize why Colombians are often spoken about as one of the kindest and happiest people in the world. Check out our video to learn more.